Busy Giants Land Ex-Dolphins DE Olivier Vernon

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Giants added a third key piece to their defense Wednesday afternoon, reportedly reaching a deal with former Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon.

Earlier in the day, the Giants, who entered free agency at a whopping $56.6 million under the salary cap, landed ex-Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins and former Jets defensive tackle Damon Harrison.

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Vernon's deal is worth $85 million over five years and includes a record $52.5 million in guarantees, the NFL Network reported. The $17 million average annual salary is the highest of any defensive end in the league, surpassing J.J. Watt's $16.7 salary, according to the website Spotrac.

It was a busy day indeed for Big Blue. The total value of the contracts for Vernon, Jenkins and Harrison amount to nearly $194 million.

Vernon, 25, was a third-round draft pick by the Dolphins in 2012. He had 11½ , 6½ and 7½ sacks the past three seasons. Miami had originally placed the transition tag on Vernon, but they rescinded it after agreeing to terms with former Bills defensive end Mario Williams on Tuesday.

The signing of Vernon addresses one of the Giants' biggest needs. New York had just 23 sacks in 2015, the third fewest in the NFL. On Tuesday, the team reached a deal to bring back Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who missed half of last season after badly injuring his hand in a fireworks accident.